Display stand



Jan. 11, 1944. H. c. ROBINSON ET AL. I 2,338,968

D I SPLAY STAND Filed Aug. 1, 1940 Patented Jan. 11, 1944 DISPLAY STAND Harry G. Robinson and Thomas F. Challis, Chattanooga, Tenn., assignors to American Manufacturing Company, Chattanooga, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application August 1, 1940, Serial No. 349,205

9 Claims.

This invention relates to stands or racks for supporting and displaying merchandise and the like and i particularly concerned with stands or racks fabricated from wire or rod stock and which involve problems in their manufacture not present in stands or racks fabricated from Wood, angle iron shapes, and the like.

Display stands of the type with which the present invention is concerned are required by the trade in varying sizes and capacities to support relatively large bottles and other merchandise which must be displayed in an attractive manner, and the racks should be capable of supporting relatively heavy loads without becoming rickety and giving way under the weight, and at the same time they should be of the knockdown type or collapsible to reduce shipping costs and promote convenience in storage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a rack of the type specified which will fulfill the foregoing requirements and which at the same time is attractive in appearance and may be assembled and taken apart easily and quickly without requiring the use of tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack of the wire rod type which may be readily taken apart and nested for shipment and easily and quickly set up at the point of use without requiring the use of bolts, screws, clamps and the like and which may be made in a wide range of sizes and of varying capacities, the construction being such that strength and rigidity i always commensurate with size and ca.- pacity. The foregoing and other objects and advantage will become apparent in view of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a display stand constructed in accordance with the features of the present invention, the rack being I Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of modified forms of slide and tongue structures.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the rack comprises a pair of side frames-or uprights l0 and Illa, each of which is preferably formed of a single piece of wire or rod stock of substantially overall inverted U-shaped contour, providing front and rear legs, with the bottom of the frame bent upwardly between the legs to provide feet ll. At spaced interval the front and rear legs of the side frames or uprights are connected by reinforcing rods H, the number of such rods used depending upon the height and capacity of the stand.

The side frames are detachably cross-connected by means of frame members l3, which are preferably in the form of sheet metal panels to render the stand more attractive and to provide space for advertising and descriptive matter.

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which the side frames are detachably cross-connected. A tongue H in the form of a piece of sheet metal, has its outer edge welded to the side frame. The panel or cross member l3, also preferably formed of sheet metal, has its opposite edges bent to provide slideways I5 which frictionally engage the tongues. Preferably, but not necessarily, the welded end of the sheet steel tongue is extended as at I 6 to provide a stop and ensure a more firm attachment to the side frame.

The merchandise is supported by one or more trays or baskets ll, note Fig. 3, the baskets preferably being made of wire or rod stock and include a series of laterally extending cross members l8 formed with upwardly projecting hangers l8a, terminating in hooks [8b. In this manner the baskets may be detachably hung on the rods l2 and coact with the cross frame members I3 to provide a locking and bracing effect for the rack assembly.

The top of the stand or rack may be provided with a frame memberl9 which in the present instance is shaped to support a sign 20 and provide a guard for the edges of the sign. The free ends or legs of the frame member l9 are detachably connected to the side frames l0 and Illa by means of eyes 2| and 22, the eyes 2| being located on the top of the side uprights and the eyes 22 being connected to cross members 23. The eyes 2| and 22 are preferably arranged in staggered relation vertically; that is. each eye 2| is projected inwardly of its coacting side upright and the eye 22 outwardly with respect to its coacting cross member. In this manher the legs may be inserted in the eyes under tension to thereby maintain the frame member l9 in proper position with respect to the stand or rack.

The manner in which the rack may be taken apart and assembled will be obvious. Assuming it is desired to take the rack down, it is only necessary toremove the baskets or trays l1 and the sign holder l9, assuming the latter is used, whereupon the tongues 14 may he slid out of engagement with the cross members 13 simply by spreading the frames l and Illa. when the rack is disassembled, the parts may be folded and nested in compact form for shipment and StOr-v age. To reassemble the rack, it is only necessary to arrange the side frames in a position where the members I 3 may be slid home on the indicated at 24, is made up of a U-shaped piece of wire or rod stock with its free ends welded to the side'frame. This type of tongue may be desired due to the fact that it is capable of be ing manufactured from stock of the same shape as the remaining portion of the stand. Also, the rounded closed end acts as a guide for the slides of the cross framing l3.

In Fig. 5 the tongue, indicated at 25, is made up of a pair of relatively short parallel pieces of wire or rod stool; welded at one end to the side frame with the opposite ends projecting free for engagement with the cross panels l3.

If it should be desired to strengthen the type of tongue shown in Fig. 5, the form shown in Fig. 4 may be used except that the closed end of the tongue would be welded to the frame.

It will be understood that certain limited changes in construction and design may be adopted within the spirit and scope of the inven tion as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A display stand of the knock-down type comprising side frame uprights, cross members connecting said side frame uprights, said cross members and side frame uprights being provided with inter-engaging portions constructed for detachable association one with the other, and one or more trays detachably connected to and I suspended from said side frame members and coacting with said cross members to reinforce the assembly. v

2. A display stand of the knock-down type comprising a pair of side frame upright -made of wire or rod stock shaped to define front and rear legs, reinforcing rods connecting said legs, cross members detachably connecting said uprights, and one or more trays having hookshaped portions detachably engaging said leg reinforcing rods and cooperating with said cross members to lend rigidity to the stand.

'3. A display stand of the knock-downtype comprising side frame uprights formed of wire or rod stock shaped to define frontand rear legs, reinforcing rods connecting said front and rear legs, said uprights each having secured thereto one'or more laterally projecting tongues, and cross members connecting said uprights and shaped .to provide slideway which frictionally engage said tongues.

4. A displaystand of the wire rod knock-down form to provide front and rear legs, reinforcing I red connecting said front and rear legs, each of said legs having secured thereto a laterally inwardly projecting tongue and said uprights being detachably connected transversely of the stand by means of sheet metal panels having their opposite edges channel-shaped to provide slideways which frictionally engage said tongues.

or more wire trays having upwardly projecting 5. A display stand of the knock-down type comprising side frame uprights each of which is bent in substantially inverted U-shaped form to provide front and rear legs, reinforcing rods connecting said front and rear legs, each of said legs having secured thereto a laterally inward- 1y projecting tongue and said uprights being detachably connected transversely of the stand by" means of sheet metal panels having their opposite edges channel-shaped to provide slldeways which frictionally engage said tongues, and one ing secured thereto one or more laterally inwardly projecting tongues each of which is formed from type comprisingside frame uprights each of which is bent in substantially inverted U-shaped a piece of sheet metal welded at one end to the leg and having its, opposite end projecting free and slidingly and frlctionally engaging the adjaoent end of a cross member.

7.,In a display rack, the combination of end members comprising uprights and connecting cross-pieces, certain of which constitute shelf supports, U-shaped dowel members disposed in opposed pairs and having their arms welded to said uprights, longitudinal members having inturned flanges on their longitudinal edges telescoplngly engaging said dowel members, and shelves provided with hooks engaging said shelf supports, said shelves constituting tie members for said end members.

8. In a display rack, the combination of end' members comprising uprights, dowel members on said uprights disposed in opposed pairs, longitudinal members telescopingly engaging said dowel members and separable therefrom by relative endwise movement of the end and longitudlnal members, intermediate cross members on said uprights constituting shelf supports, and shelves provided with hooks engaging said shelf support members, said shelves constituting tie members for said end members restraining the same from endwise separating movement relative to the longitudinal members and one another.

9. A display stand of the knock-down type comprising side frame uprights each'formed of wire or rod stock bent in substantially inverted U-shaped form, cross members detachably connecting said uprights, said side frame-uprights having securedthereto substantially oppositely disposed laterally inwardly projecting tongues formed from pieces of wire or rod stock secured as by welding at one end to one ofsaid side frame uprights, the opposite ends of said tongues projecting free and detachably engaging the contiguous ends of said cross members.

HARRY o. ROBINSON. I THOMAS F. CHALLIS.

Disclaimer 2,338,968.Harry 0. Robinson and Thomas F. Challis, Chattanooga, Tenn. DISPLAY STAND. Patent dated Jan. 11, 1944. Disclaimer filed June 8, 1950, by the assignee, American Manufacturing Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1 to 5, inclusive, of said patent.

[Oflicial Gazette July 4, 1 950.] 

